In 1960, there was an article in the Dallas Morning News which confounded us ... there was going to be something ahead, the article said, called "plastic money," and in time we would all be using this plastic money.
We couldn't imagine such a thing.
One of the plastic cards was called "Master Card". (The article said we would use this instead of money to purchase almost everything ... food, gas, movie tickets, clothing ...)
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I use it today but I never charge any amount that I do not have cash to pay for immediately. And I never let the amount carry over to the next month. I pay in full at each billing.
Often people charge things they cannot pay for and then they lose their jobs and say, "If only this hadn't happened, I would have been fine."
Living the way of the world, puts you in a place for tribulation in the world.
(There are many tribulations of this world that we can avoid by choosing not to live in the way of this world.)
Debt is one of the main traps today.
In those days (1960's), some stores had their own credit accounts, but to use a single card everywhere would make credit much easier... and it did.
It is easier to go into debt now.
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In 1975, when I was born again, one of the first things I recall God teaching me was to get out of debt and to stay out of debt.
Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing
I had borrowed about $8000 from a customer who wanted very much to buy into my business.
But she was not born again and now I was born again.
I saw such scripture as:
II Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers
I purposed to free myself and pay that money back as quickly as possible.
I learned to cut back on everything. If it wasn't essential, I didn't buy it.
For example: If coffee cost 50 cents and I could make it at home for less, I carried it from home in a thermos or paper cup. These are "small" things but it caught my attention and caused me to live differently.
(I don't do this today because I'm out of debt but I did this when I was trying to get out of debt to restructure my thinking about debt and purchases.)
Of course I was praying constantly for help and wisdom.
In a short time, the debt was down to $6000.
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In my store, the bulk of our money was made selling jewelry.
But when I was on a buying trip at that time, an old Navajo rug caught my eye. I couldn't walk away from it. I bought it for $500.
I took it to a very fine rug appraiser in Albuquerque.
She said to me, "Joan ... you really lucked out. Most of these old rugs are worthless but you've bought a very good rug worth about $1500 today. You need to hold on to this, so when you return to Dallas you need to put a very high price on it so no one will buy it."
The day after I returned to Dallas, a man came to see our merchandise.
He saw that old rug, rolled up and at the side of the wall. He asked, "What's that?"
I told him it was just an old Navajo rug.
He said, "Let me see it."
I said, "I don't think you'd like it."
He said, "Let me see it anyway."
I rolled it out on the floor.
He asked, "How much?"
I replied, "$5000."
He said, "I'll take it."
I tried to talk him out of it. But he insisted and began writing out a check.
I did not overprice merchandise. I protected my customers.
I was really horrified in what I had done.
I said, "I'm not going to cash your check for a week. This will give you time to live with the rug and if you want to bring it back I will give you your check back."
He took the rug away with him.
He did not bring it back. I don't believe I ever saw this man again.
I used that money, and put another $1000 with it, to pay off the unbeliever who had invested in my business.
Never again was I in debt nor yoked to an unbeliever.
I believe it was God who led me to buy that rug. It was the only time I ever had a rug for sale in my shop. My merchandise was mostly jewelry with some high quality Indian pottery.
I feel certain today the rug is worth what the man paid for it. Art works that are really quality have a way of escalating in price through the years. But I never overpriced any thing again.
Before I was born again, I sold a necklace that I began to have doubts about the quality of the stone and I tried to buy it back after I was born again, but they would not sell it. I wanted to make anything right that I had done before I was born again. I would not want to defraud another person.
I Thessalonians 4:6-7 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
I tried to run my life and my business by scripture, honoring God.
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Has anyone told you about the financial problem?
In 1981, I was having a meeting for the radio audience at the convention center in Seattle.
I was in my hotel room between meetings when I received a phone call from one of our part time staff who worked for the office manager in Arlington, Texas.
She asked me if anyone had told me about the financial problem.
"What financial problem?" I asked.
She said we didn't have enough money to pay our radio bills for the next month.
Both the offerings and the radio station bills were handled by the office manager at that time.
She had said nothing at all to me about a problem.
(To confess a problem would have been contrary to the doctrine of the faith movement which she was in and so was I at that time in 1981. Very shortly after this, God removed me from that movement.)
I lived a very conservative life with no debt ever. I spent only what I had money for and my own apartment was only $180 per month. My car was 10-15 years old. I only took a salary of $400 per month from ministry.
(Today I take no salary from ministry and haven't taken any salary for more than 10 years. I am able to meet my personal needs through my social security check of $779 per month. I live in a house owned by the ministry... no mortgage.)
It was important to me to use as much of the offerings as possible to pay for the radio broadcasts in 1981, whereby we exhorted the church in the Word of God.
I did not know there was a problem in 1981 until this part time worker reported it to me.
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I began praying immediately... asking God... "What is the problem?"
I heard one word, which was the name of the office manager.
I picked up the phone in Seattle and called her and fired her instantly.
I took control of the bills and the books and was shocked at the amount of salaries she had been paying the office workers and a tax accountant.
I called the accountant immediately and released him. I told him we could not pay him that much money for non-profit association bookkeeping.
He replied, "I know it's a lot of money, but in view of how much your office workers make per month, it seemed reasonable."
I explained to him that was all changing immediately.
(Later I asked an IRS agent who had seen my bookkeeping if he thought I could handle the required IRS books and non-profit organization reports and he said he thought I could. This way I did not have to pay an accountant and I did my own reports to the IRS.)
It was possible to turn around the financial problem within the month and we always paid our radio bills on time as long as I chose to remain on radio.
In no way do I consider the office manager to have been dishonest. She was simply unwise. She was in the faith movement and living by their doctrine which basically said God wants people to prosper. Therefore she was enabling everyone to prosper with our money.
That stopped the day I fired her.
When I took this action, based on that one word (her name) which I heard from God, all the office staff quit, except for that part time worker who told me of the financial problem.
One woman and her husband were being paid, what I considered to be incredible salaries. The husband was a free-lance gospel singer who hoped to make it big with some ministry. I didn't have music in my meetings, but he was being paid for office work by our office manager. I received a very bitter note in response to their quitting. They expected to remain at work for me through Christmas. I said, "No. You go now. As of now you are fired." They sent me a Christmas card and in the card they wrote and said I had ruined their Christmas. (Nonsense.)
Thinking back on it, they should never have been hired to work for a ministry, for they were both divorced and had married after divorce ... adultery according to Bible.
Matthew 5:32 Jesus said: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
I Corinthians 7:10-11 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
These scriptures were not taught in the faith movement, but today I would not have permitted such people to be in our ministry unless they repented and agreed with the scripture on the matter. These scriptures did not become known to me until later. It was the office manager who hired them but the minister is also responsible for the people allowed in the ministry.
This happened in 1981.
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I understand what happened. The doctrine under which she was living was false doctrine and was the cause of her abundant distribution of our ministry money to the workers. Also she was the type who had to think the best about everyone regardless of the facts and could only stand "good" things that made her happy.
But God knew the exact source of our financial problem, and God revealed that to me when I prayed that day in Seattle.
I took very immediate action, not sparing the fleshly feelings or "good name" of anyone.
I learned to do such from God through the following scripture which I lived by.
Paul dealing with Peter who was doing wrong:
Galatians 2:11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. v. 14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
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If you go by what God shows you and you take action according to what God shows you, things straighten out rapidly.
Since that situation in 1981, there has never been a financial problem.
We operate this ministry within our means to pay for services or we just do not do those things.
People in the office staff threatened me: "Just wait until you go out for meetings and have to ship boxes of tapes and have to keep up with all the contributors."
What none of us knew at that time is I would never be going out again. God stopped that! And those contributors left me for the most part, so there was no problem keeping up with them.
There was going to be another way to travel all over the world and speak the gospel. It was going to be done by Internet blog and by books that would be published and distributed on Amazon in e-book and paper formats!
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Also since 1981, I have never asked any of our church members for offerings.
The individuals in our little church group have sent money as God has prospered them. When they retired from their secular jobs, they sent less money in offerings. Some died and offerings ceased as a result of their deaths.
Regardless, there has been an abundance from God and no need and no want.
Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
(When we are hearing from the Holy Spirit and following HIM, Jesus is our shepherd ... and then we have no wants that are unfulfilled ... no needs)
HE maketh me to lie down in green pastures: HE leadeth me beside the still waters.
HE restoreth my soul: HE leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
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2016 ... To Present
At the time of this writing, I drive a 23-year-old car. It runs very well and costs almost nothing in upkeep nor in state required insurance. I pray often that the car last for my lifetime. I am 80-years-old.
I do not purchase anything that would cause us to be drained of cash. I do not put money pressure on myself nor on anyone else. I believe this is the way God has shown me to live since I was born again in 1975.
Ministers from around the world frequently send me emails telling of their many works and begging me for money and Bibles. I do not send money nor Bibles. They go into works never authored by God. When God authors the work, the way also is there to do the work. These ministers take on works which they cannot pay for and beg others for money to pay for their works. And they love to tell of their feeding of orphans, caring for old people ... often to use these to get more money from other people. This is not the way of God. We take care of those things shown us by the Spirit of God.
Jesus said: Not every one that saith unto ME, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to ME in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from ME, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:21-23
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At one point, the faith-movement office manager told me we could buy a Cadillac for me on monthly payments. I was ashamed of the old car I drove because in the faith movement it seemed as if God wasn't blessing you unless you drove a nice, expensive car. Most of the ministers I knew in that movement drove Cadillacs, Lincoln Town Cars, or Mercedes.
My car was an old Oldsmobile with a vinyl top which was peeling off and part of the vinyl was sticking straight up into the air.
I looked anything but blessed by God. (can't go by appearances) It looked awful. But the car ran very well! And it was very comfortable.
I continued to drive the old car, refusing to go into debt for something we couldn't afford to pay cash for, thus continuing in what I believe God showed me when I was born again.
Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing
I did not have a house to live in, at that time, although many said it was unwise to pay rent for apartment. I did not choose to have mortgage and go into debt and be controlled by ways of the wisdom of this world and to be subject to the problems of this world as the world went through down-turns.
When we had enough cash I built an apartment to live in. (1985)
Later I brought a lot (1987) ... and when there was sufficient money I sold the apartment and built a house (1990), in Clovis, New Mexico (USA). No mortgage.
When I moved to Lubbock (2003), after my mother died, I sold the house in Clovis, which had doubled in value, and used that money and personal money to build the house I live in now. This house was paid for in cash. No mortgage.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in ME ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
If you choose to live in the way of this world, which often seems wise, you put yourself in the path of the tribulation of this world. As things change in the world and the finances go down in this world due to various unforeseen crises, you can go down with the tribulation of the world.
I have chosen not to do that.
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Another thing that happened in 1981, I was en route back to Dallas from a one-week-TV-talk show in Detroit. God said to me, by putting this thought into my mind: "Don't do any more TV talk shows."
I was scheduled for 2 more TV talk shows: one in Dallas and another in Phoenix
Surely God would want me to fulfill my commitment on these 2 shows, I thought.
Not so.
"But what would I tell the host of the TV shows?" I began to think of possible excuses.
Then I heard: "Why don't you just tell them the truth?"
(OH no ... the truth?)
I called one station and hoped to leave a message with a secretary but the minister who was the host of the TV show came on the phone.
I said, "I'm going to have to cancel being on your show. God has told me not to do any more TV talk shows."
"OK", said the host. She didn't care.
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The ending: Beginning in 2015
Job 42:12 So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning
I've always been a writer. It is a God-given gift. I was a writer even in early elementary school. I love writing.
In 2015, around Thanksgiving (November), I kept having the thought to purchase a Kindle e-reader.
I kept putting this out of my mind because I had a perfectly good first generation e-reader and didn't need new e-reader.
I kept putting this out of my mind because I had a perfectly good first generation e-reader and didn't need new e-reader.
But the thought kept coming back over and over even though I kept reasoning it away.
Finally, I bought a new Kindle Fire.
It turned out to be much more complicated than my first-generation Kindle and when I couldn't find instructions for basic needs that I could understand in the available user manuals, I would ask Pam Padgett and she would tell me by e-mail what to do. As the e-mails stacked up on various basic subjects of how to use a Kindle Fire, I realized we had a book here, for non-computer generations.
We wrote the book and published it on Amazon in both e-book & paper.
Graphically Illustrated Kindle Fire 8 Guide: (for non-computer generations)
Finally, I bought a new Kindle Fire.
It turned out to be much more complicated than my first-generation Kindle and when I couldn't find instructions for basic needs that I could understand in the available user manuals, I would ask Pam Padgett and she would tell me by e-mail what to do. As the e-mails stacked up on various basic subjects of how to use a Kindle Fire, I realized we had a book here, for non-computer generations.
We wrote the book and published it on Amazon in both e-book & paper.
Graphically Illustrated Kindle Fire 8 Guide: (for non-computer generations)
When I realized how easy it was to publish on Amazon, I began writing ministry books and publishing them in both e-book and paper books on Amazon.
God used the Kindle book guide to get my attention to publishing ministry books on Amazon.
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God once said to me: "One step at a time... one step at a time ... it is enough."
But we have to take that first step before we can take step number two!
HYMN: AMAZING GRACE
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HYMN: AMAZING GRACE
Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.
(To hear this hymn played on piano and to follow along with the words, click on the following link and then when it appears on screen, tap on the play arrow, > )
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